At least eight killed in ISIS suicide attack on church in Pakistan

Two suicide bombers attacked a crowded Catholic church in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday, December 17, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 45 others. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Reuters, Sarfaraz Bugti, the Interior Minister of Balochistan province, stated that armed men wearing explosive belts attacked a church in Quetta city, with one detonating himself and the other shooting at Christian attendees during a religious ceremony. Moazzam Jah, the police chief of the province, said that the church guards exchanged fire with the attackers before they could enter the main entrance of the church. He noted that two women were among the dead. Moazzam Jah added, "There were nearly 400 people in the church, but the attackers could not enter. We killed one of them, and the other detonated his explosive belt after being wounded by the police." He mentioned that since Christian places of worship are often targeted by radical Islamist attacks, the Methodist church was well-prepared in this regard. Meanwhile, reports indicate that while ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, no evidence has been provided to confirm this. According to the Associated Press, violence in Balochistan province has raised significant concerns about the $57 billion economic corridor between Pakistan and China, which includes a transportation and energy route from western China to the Gwadar port in southern Pakistan. Over the past decade, Pakistan has conducted numerous military operations against Islamist militants seeking to impose their strict interpretation of religion. Although these groups have been weakened and dispersed, they remain capable of carrying out sporadic attacks. Earlier in December, three suicide bombers affiliated with the Taliban attacked an agricultural college in northwest Peshawar, killing eight students and a guard.